By Kerry Bleskan Washington

October 1, 2001

Trapped in apartments with no way to escape
And while professional dogs are risking their lives for the rescue efforts in New York and DC, lay humans have joined efforts to save the family pets who are as devastated as their owners by the destruction of the World Trade Center. The Center for Animal Care and Control (CACC), a not-for-profit New York-based animal rescue, joined with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and others to help the multitude of pets stranded in downtown apartments when their owners were evacuated or refused admittance to their homes...

A local connection
Robert Ake and Kent Carter of Professional Pet Transports in John Day, OR, were headed to New York in the course of their normal duties when the Towers were struck. They decided to assist in the rescue rather than returning directly home, and have since been assisting the ASPCA by shuttling rescued animals to participating veterinarians, kennels, and foster homes throughout the area. Ake, PPT's operations manager, has also been rescuing animals from residences. "Robert has gone into the Ground Zero area, gone into buildings and brought(pets)out," said coworker Belinda Day.

Ake and Carter's work was highly praised by a witness in Manhattan. "They have been selfless with their efforts and time, and their upbeat attitudes have been a constant source of inspiration to those in their company. The days have been long and trying and there has been and will continue to be a great deal of work to do but Robert and Kent have been instrumental in fostering progress in the effort to reunite people (especially people whose homes are in ruins) with their beloved pets" wrote Matt Sindell, the husband of an ASPCA employee, in an email to the Oregon company. "One woman today exclaimed that her safe reunion with her cat was the first piece of good news she'd had since Tuesday, September 11th. She (had been) helped directly by the boys from Oregon."